Readers may have noticed that Australia is in the midst of an energy war. On one side are right-wing commentators attacking renewable energy at every turn. On the other side are renewables advocates, quick to retaliate, sometimes without considering the whole story.
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| Considering Australia's broken power system. |
But we are also facing real problems with the electricity system. South Australia is particularly vulnerable. It experienced a major state-wide blackout in September, and power shortages caused by a private gas generator refusing to provide power.
Energy commentators often talk of the “energy trilemma”: how do you achieve the three goals of 1. affordable electricity; 2. security and reliability (keeping the lights on); and 3. reduced carbon emissions.
A reliable electricity system based completely on renewable energy would cost more due to the extra storage and other infrastructure required. Of course, electricity prices can be reduced through regulations to improve energy efficiency and infrastructure costs could be funded from tax revenue. But that’s a story for another day.
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